European Commission — imposes competition and consumer fines on tech firms, approves mergers, and negotiates EU policy on trade, energy, and migration.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told Hungary’s new prime minister that billions of euros in EU funding are to be unlocked subject to his government pushing through a raft of “long-overdue reforms”. …
EU hails Hungary’s ‘wind of change’ and unlocks €16.4bn for new PM MagyarJoy Online
… Nato’s secretary general said “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all”, while the head of the European Commission said Moscow’s “war of aggression had crossed yet another line”. …
Nato condemns Russian ‘recklessness’ after drone hits Romanian residential blockBusiness & Financial Times
… The European Commission uncovered bid rigging involving companies such as Siemens and Alstom in the infrastructure sectors. …
The Inconvenient Truth with Ing. Prof. Douglas Boateng: Africa will not escape the IMF through austerity alone, but through value for money disciplineJoy Online
… European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the EU executive was targeting addictive and harmful design practices by social media firms in its upcoming Digital Fairness Act. …
Italy parents’ group faces Meta, TikTok in Milan court over minors’ social media useThe Chronicle
… European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen promised after meeting interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus in January that Europe would “do everything it can” to support Syria’s recovery. …
EU agrees to restore full trade ties with SyriaJoy Online
… But, I’m told, the European Commission may look at inserting more clauses into agreed deals, whereby the UK would have to pay a penalty if it turned its back on those agreements in the future.
‘Britain at the heart of Europe’: How Starmer’s plans are going down in the EUJoy Online
… After a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump said he agreed to give her until “our Country’s 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels”. …
Trump gives EU ultimatum deadline to approve trade deal with USJoy Online
… The European Commission responded: “We will keep our options open to protect EU interests”. …
Trump says he will hike tariffs on EU cars to 25%Donald Trump says the US will investigate the European Union and threaten fresh tariffs over fines handed to American tech companies including Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon. Trump says fines should be "entirely reversed" and is initiating a Section 301 trade investigation.
28 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Donald Trump says the US will investigate the European Union and threaten fresh tariffs over fines handed to American tech companies including Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon. Trump says fines should be "entirely reversed" and is initiating a Section 301 trade investigation.
28 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The EU has fined Google €890m under its new Digital Markets Act for abusing its market power by favouring its own apps and services over competitors, limiting consumer choice. The fine comprises €460m for favouring Google's services in flight and hotel search results, and €430m for Play Store rules that prevented consumers from seeing cheaper offers outside Google's marketplace.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The European Commission cleared Paramount Skydance's $110bn takeover of Warner Bros Discovery after Paramount agreed to end its film distribution partnership with Universal Pictures in Europe within 13 months and refrain from similar ventures for 10 years. The merger remains blocked in the US, where a coalition of 12 states filed a lawsuit arguing it would harm movie theatres and cable distributors; a US judge temporarily paused the deal to allow those claims to be considered.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
EU ambassadors will meet Wednesday to seek agreement on a 21st sanctions package targeting Russia's banking sector, though Greece opposes planned restrictions on Russian LNG supplies, arguing they would shift market share rather than impact Russian revenues.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
French lawmakers voted to ban social media use for children under 15, with the bill set to take effect this school year after President Emmanuel Macron signs it into law. The ban makes France the first EU country to impose such a restriction, following Australia's implementation of a ban for under-16s last year.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Andy Burnham, the new UK prime minister, is set to announce new support to help people with the cost of living crisis as his cabinet meets for the first time. He has vowed to provide "breathing space" for households struggling with costs and pledged to set out details on Tuesday.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Andy Burnham, the new UK prime minister, is set to announce support for households struggling with the cost of living crisis on Tuesday. Burnham has appointed a cabinet including John Healey as chancellor and Ed Miliband as foreign secretary, and pledged to provide "breathing space" for people facing financial hardship.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Portugal and Morocco are asking the European Commission to consider a power interconnector between the two countries for EU funding and private investment. A power blackout in Spain and Portugal in April 2025 revived the project, which would strengthen energy security for both countries by diversifying electricity sources beyond limited existing European connections.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Portugal and Morocco will ask the European Commission to fund a long-planned power interconnector between the two countries and explore private-sector investment, following a blackout in Spain and Portugal in April 2025 that exposed the Iberian Peninsula's weak electricity connections to the rest of Europe.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A reconciliation committee of France's Parliament approved a bill to ban social media access for those under 15, with French President Macron seeking implementation by early September. The measure follows Australia's ban for under-16s and comes as European Commission President Von der Leyen has supported similar limits across the EU.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The European Commission imposed a record €550m fine on AliExpress for failing to properly assess and prevent the sale of illegal, unsafe and counterfeit products on its platform, including fake clothes, unsafe toys and dangerous cosmetics. The two-year investigation found AliExpress's detection systems did not work properly and penalties on traders selling illegal goods were not properly enforced.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The European Commission has fined Chinese online retailer AliExpress €550m for failing to adequately assess and prevent the sale of illegal, unsafe, and counterfeit products on its platform. The fine, issued under the Digital Services Act following a two-year investigation, found the company's detection systems did not work properly and allowed products to remain online for weeks after being flagged.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The EU's new Entry Exit System has nearly tripled waiting times for non-EU citizens at passport control in some airports, including Rome, with Ryanair warning passengers to prepare for extended delays. Border police reported technology bugs, though the European Commission said disruption is limited in most airports.
19 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Three people were killed in a Russian attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa, the fifth consecutive day of strikes on the region. Russia said it targeted port infrastructure for petroleum and oil unloading; Ukraine's Odesa governor accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians and residential buildings.
15 July 2026 · Joy Online →
US President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade ties with Spain and reiterated his desire for the US to take over Greenland during a NATO summit in Ankara, citing Spain's refusal to assist with operations against Iran. Spain's government responded that it considers Trump's statements routine and intends to maintain its relations with the US.
9 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
At the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Trump condemned Spain as a "wasted cause" and "terrible partner in NATO," threatening to cut off trade relations. Trump also revived his interest in the US taking over Greenland from Denmark, calling NATO's resistance to the plan "a big problem for us," while Spanish PM Sánchez later said relations remained friendly and discussions involved no tension.
8 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A Russian aerial attack on Monday killed at least 18 people in Ukraine, with 12 deaths in Kyiv and six more in the surrounding region, exposing critical gaps in air defences. President Zelenskyy blamed the shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles and urged NATO allies at the upcoming Ankara summit to supply more air defence systems.
6 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Europe's top court has dismissed Google's appeal and upheld a €4.1bn fine imposed by the European Commission for using Android to block rivals through practices including requiring pre-installation of Google Search and Chrome, making exclusive payments to manufacturers, and preventing sales of alternative Android versions.
2 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ryanair and Berlin Airport's leadership have warned of severe travel disruption this summer due to the EU's new Entry-Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU travellers to register biometric information at entry. Non-EU nationals are facing queue waits of up to two hours at some terminals, and Ryanair has urged governments to postpone the system until after the summer holiday period.
2 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Amnesty International reported that authorities in eastern and western Libya have intensified a crackdown on migrants and refugees in the last month with mass arrests, detentions and expulsions. The organization accused the EU of complicity, citing its long-standing support and training of the Libyan coastguard and recent engagement with rival eastern authorities.
24 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The head of Europe's airports trade body says the EU's new Entry-Exit System (EES), which requires biometric registration for non-EU travellers, is causing significant delays at airports and passengers are missing flights, despite some politicians claiming the system is working well.
23 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Hungary's parliament passed a constitutional amendment limiting a prime minister to two terms in office since 1990, preventing Viktor Orbán from returning to power after his 16-year tenure ended in April. The Tisza party, which won a two-thirds majority in the election, passed the measure 135-50, with Orbán's Fidesz party opposing it.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Swiss voters rejected a proposal by the right-wing Swiss People's Party to limit the country's population to 10 million, with nearly 55% voting against the measure. The government, Swiss businesses, and all major parties opposed the initiative, which risked jeopardizing Switzerland's free movement agreement with the European Union.
14 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The European Commission has ordered Meta to allow AI chatbots from rival firms to use WhatsApp for free while it investigates whether Meta's ban on third-party AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API breaches EU competition rules. Meta has reacted angrily and says it will appeal.
10 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Italy's competition authority (AGCM) has dropped its investigation into Meta over allegations of abusing its dominant position by installing an AI tool on WhatsApp, citing the European Commission's extension of its own probe to cover Italian territory.
9 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Europe's largest airlines have warned the European Commission against extending its Emissions Trading System to cover international flights, saying the expansion would raise ticket prices. The system currently covers only flights within Europe, and the Commission is considering including emissions from flights departing the EU as part of a review due next month.
9 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The US announced new tariffs of 10-12.5% on dozens of countries, accounting for almost all its imports, over concerns they are not doing enough to tackle forced labour. The 60 trading partners listed—including the UK, the EU, Canada, India and Japan—face the duties because of their failure to address the importation of goods made with forced labour.
3 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The US has announced new tariffs of 10–12.5% on 60 trading partners, including the UK, EU, China, Canada, India, and Japan, over concerns they are not doing enough to tackle forced labour. The targeted countries account for almost all US imports, and the tariffs have not yet been enforced.
3 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Scientists at KNUST's TCC-CIMET research centre are deploying quantum computing methods to validate Ghana's laterite-clay and agricultural fibre composites for certified construction, potentially opening the country's building code to locally sourced, low-carbon materials for the first time. Ghana generates an estimated 500,000 tonnes of palm-nutshell and coconut husk waste annually, with laterite deposits abundant across the country, but these materials remain absent from approved load-bearing construction specifications due to lack of reliable performance data.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Wizz Air's UK managing director has advised British holidaymakers to arrive three hours before European flights home due to long queues at passport control caused by new Entry Exit System border checks. The EES requires travellers to register biometric information, and some passengers have missed return or connecting flights, though a European Commission spokesperson said the system is working well at almost all border crossings.
30 May 2026 · Joy Online →